RHONJ Producers Told to Scout for New Wives

Credit: Eugene Gologursky/Bravo

The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast will not be getting a reunion for its 14th season. And while Andy Cohen and a number of cast members have spoken out about the removal of the standard episodes, fans are still confused about why exactly it was canceled.

While Bravo has not yet explained the decision, a new report has shed new light on the situation, signaling fears about the intense drama between the cast, much of which has been fueled by the ongoing estrangement of Teresa Giudice, 52, and Melissa Gorga, 45, which has left the rest of the cast divided.

“The reunion was scrapped because there is absolutely no way these women could be in a room together after the [finale],” a source told the Daily Mail on June 13. “A reunion is for resolution and it is clear that this would not happen in the traditional reunion format so bosses are working on something else that could work.”

While Margaret Josephs, 57, Jennifer Aydin, 47, Dolores Catania, 53, Danielle Cabral, 38, Rachel Fuda, 33, Jackie Goldschneider, 47, and Jennifer Fessler, 53, continued to film as a group throughout season 14, Teresa and Melissa refused to interact, which led Andy, 56, to describe the dynamic as “unsustainable.”

With ratings dropping, producers are reportedly scrambling for ways to keep RHONJ alive and considering new cast members ahead of season 15.

“Producers have been advised to be on the lookout for new wives,” a second source stated, adding that giving Teresa a spinoff is another possibility.

“They do not want Teresa to take her audience to another platform so are mapping out a way to keep her on the network if she decides not to return after the current series. They could offer her a spin off, but there are concerns about what this would actually involve,” the insider explained.

Even former cast member Kim DePaola has weighed in on the canceled reunion, telling the Daily Mail it is “unheard of” to cancel a reunion. As fans well know, the only other time a reunion was canceled was after the 13th season of The Real Housewives of New York City — after which the entire cast was uprooted.

“Bravo [is] disgusted with this cast,” Kim declared. “They all can’t stand each other. Not one of them really like each other. There’s no chance this group will have resolution… These people were banding together on each side to get the other side fired.”

According to Kim, she believes the only way to fix the show would be a full reboot of its cast. However, after a recent report suggested that many cast members would be fired ahead of season 15, Andy denied any such thing.

“No decisions have been made. We’re nowhere close to making any decisions. Don’t believe anything you read right now,” he told Extra earlier this week.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 14 airs Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo.